FNS Documents & Resources

This memorandum is the second set of questions and answers on the rural non-congregate summer meals option established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, and codified through the interim final rulemaking, Implementing Provisions from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023: Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs.

In April 2022, federal agencies transitioned from use of the DUNS number to the Unique Entity Identifier. Child Nutrition Program Operators are required to have the UEI to receive payments from state agencies who administer the child nutrition programs on behalf of the federal government. This memorandum provides answers to questions related to the transition.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance for state agencies and program operators on aspects of the final rule that aligned the SFSP with other child nutrition programs: performance standards, budgets, and management plans.

The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on rural designations in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized a permanent non-congregate meal service option through the SFSP and SSO for children who live in rural communities with no congregate meal service. This memorandum supersedes SFSP policy memorandum SFSP 17-2015, Rural Designations in the Summer Food Service Program – Revised, April 21, 2017.

This memorandum provides notice to child nutrition program operators regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, enacted on Dec. 29, 2022. 

Nationwide waiver of the summer sponsor application deadline and to allow reimbursement for meals served prior to notification of approval for summer 2022 operations.

Pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and based on the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, FNS is extending the nationwide waiver to allow meal service operations outside of the standard meal service times in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option through Sept. 30, 2022.

Pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and based on the exceptional circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic, FNS is extending a nationwide waiver to allow parents and guardians to pick up meals for children in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option through Sept. 30, 2022.

Pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and based on the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, FNS is extending a nationwide waiver to allow non-congregate meal service in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option through Sept. 30, 2022.

Pursuant to Section 2202(a) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and based on the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, FNS is establishing a nationwide waiver to allow school food authorities to claim National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option meals and snacks at the applicable Summer Food Service Program reimbursement rates in summer 2022. This waiver will ensure continuity of program operations and access to nutritious meals for program participants this summer.